Why should I get external wall insulation?

If you’ve read our blog before, you may have seen us recommending solid wall insulation. With 35% of heat in your home lost through the walls, we think it’s the best way to insulate your home.

Here are our 10 reasons why:

1. Increases thermal efficiency. Walls store warmth and slowly release it back into the home. For example, 90mm of expanded polystyrene (EPS) attached to a traditional 9-inch solid brick, will reduce the U-value (which is a measure of how much energy is lost) from 2.2 down to just 0.3 per m²K, bringing it in line with a brand new wall built today.
2. Improves the appearance of your home. It can provide a face lift for any property in need of a bit of TLC. If you are fed up of the dated pebbledash on your home, or the existing render is past its best, new render will really smarten it up. You can choose from a variety of renders, colours, textures and even brick slips.
3. Reduces heat gain in warm weather. People often assume insulation only helps during the colder winter months – in fact it slows the movement of heat, so it will ensure your home sits at a comfortable temperature all year around.
4. Prevents penetrating damp. Damp is a common issue in older housing stock, when there are no cavities to help prevent water passing through the brickwork. Solid wall insulation is the perfect solution, helping to form a weatherproof coating on your exterior walls which will stop penetrating damp in its tracks. 
5. No floor space is lost. One of the biggest benefits to insulating externally is that you don’t lose any valuable floor space within the property. With prices reaching well in excess of £1000 per square foot across the capital, external wall insulation helps retain property value.
6. Can be applied without disruption to the household. Since the insulation is applied externally, there is no disruption to those residing in the property.
7. Increases the life of walls by protecting brickwork. The render increases the structural integrity of your home.
8. Helps prevent condensation. The system helps increase the temperature of external walls to minimise condensation.
9. Reduces energy bills by up to 40%. Your property will require far less heating to stay warm during the cooler winter months.
10. Helps muffle sound entering the home. External wall insulation is proven to reduce noise entering buildings.

For loads more information, see our guides.